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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: board · scale · pop · ruler · wax · clip · leaves · pitch

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. scale — size or range
  3. clip — for paper
  4. pop — soda
  5. board — a committee
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. scale — in music
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pitch — completely
  13. board — to get on
  14. clip — a video
  15. pop — to visit
  16. clip — to cut
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — music
  24. ruler — for measuring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com